Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s newly formed “Board of Peace” convened its first meeting in Washington on Thursday, securing pledges totaling $7 billion from nine nations to fund the reconstruction of Gaza. The initiative, which Trump chairs, also announced that five countries, including Morocco, have agreed to contribute troops to an international stabilisation force for the territory.
The stabilisation force is initially slated for deployment to Rafah in southern Gaza, a focal point for planned reconstruction efforts. Speaking at the meeting, Trump expressed a broad mandate for the board. “We will help Gaza, we will straighten it out, we will make it successful, we’ll make it peaceful, and we will do things like that in other spots,” he said, suggesting the framework could be applied to other global conflicts.
This initial commitment falls significantly short of the estimated $70 billion required to rebuild the Palestinian territory after two years of devastating war between Israel and Hamas. The board’s creation, framed as a mechanism to oversee a Gaza ceasefire and reconstruction plan, has received a cautious response from the international community. Key Western allies and major Global South powers have been reluctant to formally join the grouping, with some expressing concern it could undermine the authority of the United Nations.
The meeting was attended by approximately 50 countries, including Britain, Germany, Italy, Norway, and Switzerland. These nations participated as observers, underscoring the board’s contested status within traditional diplomatic circles. A UN spokesperson noted on Thursday that the United States has paid about $160 million of the more than $4 billion it owes in arrears to the world body.
Trump framed the board’s work as complementary to UN reform. “We’ll work again with the United Nations and bring it back to health. It needs help,” he stated, adding that as the UN’s largest donor, the U.S. would pursue institutional changes. He specifically referenced physical upgrades to the UN headquarters in New York, saying, “I like to see beautiful buildings… We’re going to do a job with the United Nations.”
The inaugural meeting highlights a parallel initiative to established UN-led processes for Gaza’s future. While the $7 billion pledge represents an immediate financial start, the scale of the need and the board’s unclear mandate relative to existing international frameworks raise questions about its long-term role and coordination. The commitment of troops and the selection of Rafah for an initial stabilisation presence signal a focus on humanitarian access and security, yet the absence of key players from the board itself may complicate its legitimacy and operational effectiveness on the ground. The next steps will involve translating pledges into a detailed implementation plan amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
